Developing games using RealBasic IDE

[Mascot Tom]

I'm not sure if any of you have heard of this, but there is a multi-platform development environment out there called RealBasic. Its an object-oriented development environment (the "objects" are just plugins that carry different functions, which you can tell what to do) that can be programmed using BASIC script. the software runs on Linux, Mac and Windows. Recently they have had a name change to Real Studio.

http://www.realsoftware.com/realstudio/

I'll be honest: I have been using older versions of RealBasic since 1999, and have had over 13 versions of the software as trial editions. After so many years of using it, I haven't come across any useful information regarding developing with it besides making basic windows and programming a button or two. When it came to anything regarding advanced features like programing sprites or basic math, I have yet to come across any useful information. I've read the manuals, been on the forums, and there are plenty of great tutorials out there that will do a great job teaching you how to make exactly what the manual or tutorial tells you to make, but there's nothing really there to help you really UNDERSTAND what you are doing, which is the most important part of program development by far.

The best I've come up with is an outdated tutorial for early Mac versions of RealBasic, teaching you how to make a basic top-down shooter game.

http://www.mactech.com/articles/mactech/Vol.16/16.08/REALbasicSprites/index.html

This tutorial only really applies to versions of the RealBasic software older than version 2006, and only applies to classic Mac operating systems prior to Mac OS X. (Mac OS 8.6, 9.0, ect...)

Make no mistake though: this is a very powerful piece of software, merely plagued by the fact that no one has made decent instructions for it yet as far as I know. I'm going to be following the tutorial listed above on my iBook running Mac OS 9.2.2 and see if I can translate the instructions to apply to newer versions of RealBasic here. In the meantime, I suggest anyone who is a beginner looking to get into game development to at least give this software a try. Realstudio has a trial period that lasts 30 days.

http://www.realsoftware.com/download/

[Screlx]

Are you looking for an IDE built just for BASIC?

I can recommend you Eclipse, as it's good for several different languages. Tons of people use it.

[Mascot Tom]

Going to be checking that out today.

My main concern is cross-platform capability without the need for a Runtime Environment. I can sacrifice some functionality if it means I'll be able to compile for more than one system.

[Len0]

I think Eclipse requires a runtime environment.

I tried  RealStudio 2012 and noticed that older things like RB3DSpace and Spritesurface have been replaced with OpenGLsurface. I still don't see how a 3D gaming environment is even a possibility with this new OpenGL thing, since there is nothing in it that specifically handles 3D objects.

[Mascot Tom]

Realstudio can handle 3D just fine, it's just far more complicated than it used to be in RealBasic.

http://www.real3dtutorials.com/

There is a website that kind of outlines what is different this time around, and how to handle 3D objects.